College of Education

Good teachers matter: A message from the Chancellor of the Educational Achievement Authority of Michigan

Submitted by Drew Echelson | Published March 30, 2012

John William Covington,Chancellor of the Educational Achievement Authority of Michigan (EAA)

Dear Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Community:

It is a great distinct honor and pleasure to serve as the first Chancellor of the Educational Achievement Authority (EAA) of Michigan. This opportunity to innovate, collaborate and transform public education is especially important to me because I, like you, believe Michigan's students are full of potential and deserve world-class schools.

The EAA of Michigan was designed to provide a new, stable, and financially responsible system of public schools. The primary goal of this system of schools is to create an environment that supports, and provides tools and resources under which teachers can help students make significant academic gains. It will first apply to underperforming schools in Detroit in the 2012–2013 school years and then be expanded to include Persistently Low Achieving (PLA) schools throughout Michigan.

EAA of Michigan's philosophy is simple: Good teachers matter. Highly effective teachers and principals are the two most influential school based factors in student performance. In that spirit, the EAA of Michigan will be accepting applications and recommendations from throughout the state of Michigan and from national networks across the country. We begin today with a call to you because EMU is a close partner with us in this work.